MM Report: The 2011 Washington, D.C. Auto Show
02-08-11, 07:52 PM
#1
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
MM Report: The 2011 Washington, D.C. Auto Show
As usual, I attended the 2011 Washington, D.C. Auto Show his year three times (3-4 days is average, but not for full-days). The show this year had an extended run....from January 28 to Feb.6, which was a little longer than average. And, as usual (fortunately), I didn't have to pay to get in, as I had a number of dealer-furnished free-show passes. In fact, the show itself, unlike many other major auto shows, is put on and sponsored by the local new-car dealer network, the WANADA (Washington Area New Auto Dealership Association), so they're glad to give out free tickets. They WANT you to come, of course, and see their new products. And, for some icing on the cake, I didn't even have to pay full-fare for the subway rides (because of expensive/limited parking in the area,the subway is usually the best way to get to and from the show), because many subway riders have the habit of tossing out (or leaving around) used fare-card stubs with electronic monetary-value still left on them. So, all you have to do, if the monetary value on the card is still good, is take the card-stub over to the SmartTrip machine and bump up the value of your own Smarttrip pass, without spending a penny out of your own pocket. It's surprising what people leave on these stubs......sometimes I actually get free rides and/or Metro-parking out of this. This is a trick that many subway riders don't seem to have caught on to....and, of course, it's perfectly legal, because you aren't stealing a thing. Anyhow, DaveGS4, the CL moderator, asked me to do a piece on the D.C. show this year, so here you are.
For the first time in my life, I now have a Canon 3100 digital camera. I've never had a digital camera before, or the skills/experience in using one. I managed to get the camera set up, ready for use, take some shots at the show, and transfer the images to my own computer, but I still haven't figured out (if possible with my old laptop) to get those images onto the Internet into CL forums. So, in the meantime, I decided to go ahead and do the show write-up with my usual Google images. If and when I can get the digital-camera images transferred, I'll post them with this article later. The camera, of course, if I can master it, may also be a help in my future car reviews....we'll wait and see.
The Washington, D.C. Auto Show, up until about 4-5 years ago when the new D.C. Convention Center was built (at a cost to the city of roughly $1 billion) and the show times/dates changed, tended to be neglected somewhat by the auto manufacturers as a Class-B show. Because of a number of factors, it is now considered a show of greater importance; a borderline-Class-A show. The old show, at the old D.C. Convention Center, was held each year over the Holiday Week, roughly from Dec. 26 to around New years' Day. I actually liked the looks of the old Convention Center more than the new one, but it didn't have its own subway stop like the new one, and you often had to dodge (or deal with) a number of panhandlers on the streets to get there from the nearest stations. I don't mind helping the more honest ones out, of course, but some of them just don't know when to quit, or use the money for alcohol or drugs. The old show dates, of course, between Christmas and New Years', were held at a time when Members of Congress and many Government officials were out of town on recess. This also made it the last major auto show of the calendar year, just before the big Detroit Auto Show got going a couple of weeks later in January, so automakers generally paid little attention to it. When the new Convention Center opened, the D.C. show dates were moved to late January and/or early February, right behind the Detroit show, and this also made it much easier for Congressional and Government officials to attend......one of the show's prime targets. So, while the D.C. show is still not the equal of the Detroit, Chicago, or L.A. shows, it is clearly a major event now.
Not that that's necessarily the way it should be, though, IMO. The Washington area, with its very high income (some of the highest in the nation), stable, recession-resistant economy dominated by Government and high-tech companies, low unemployment (less than half the national average), and the great need for personal cars because of the limited local public-transit systems, has become (arguably) the second-largest new-car market in the country, selling some six times the number of new vehicles than the Detroit area, which is deteriorating and rapidly becoming part of the Rust belt. Only the massive L.A./SoCal region, the center of the country's auto-culture, sells more......some ten times the number of new vehicles than the Detroit area does. But the Detroit show is still the largest one, and the one that the most auto-press attends, despite the fact that it is simply a tradition that has fallen behind the times.......a number of automotive corporate headquarters have packed up and moved to the Los Angeles area, Tenneessee, or other places.....such as VW/Audi of America now headquartered in Herndon, VA, just a few miles from my home. The Detroit show, as I see it, is a huge event that simply no longer belongs in Detroit....other regions of the country, in the automotive culture, have clearly superseeded it.
I saw a couple of good examples of this (as usual) at the D.C. show again this year, where there were several new vehicles I thought should have been there that were reserved for other shows. One was the Lexus LF-A supercar. I asked the Lexus reps about that, and their excuse (which may have had some merit) was that only 500 LF-As were produced in the last year; only 173 came to the U.S., almost all of those were sold out or spoken for, and that they needed to reserve the few remaining for the larger shows in Detroit and Chicago (never mind the fact that the Detroit show was now over). Lexus, however, DID display the new CT200 hatchback hybrid, unlocked with the doors open, but up on a wooden platform where it where it was not accessable to the public. I plan to do a CT full-review in the future, but more for my own curiosity (I'm interested in it), as I have not yet gotten a CL request for one.
Oh well, enough of my venting and complaining. You gents and ladies didn't click onto this article just to hear me b**ch about marketing and show priorities, (I've done that enough of that in other threads on that subject), but for a report on the show itself. So, let's get on with that.....coming right up.
1970 Fiat 500 (yellow) and 2001 Fiat 500 in Latte Expresso trim.
The award-winning Ford Electric-Drive Focus
The Cadillac Converj
The Chevy Volt.....(the unlocked model on the floor, downstairs, was of the most popular show displays)
The Mercedes SLS Gull-Wing AMG in matte-silver paint.
Tesla full-electric roadster.
The 2011 Dodge Charger......MUCH improved over the 2010 model.
First, as was more or less the same as last year, a lot of floor-space downstairs (the show is held on two levels) was reserved, in a separate section, for non-gasoline and/or alternate-fuel vehicles like propane, natural gas, hydrogen/fuel-cell, plug-in (extended-range) hybrid, full-electric, advanced-diesel, and others. Good examples were the Chevy Volt plug-in-hybrid (the unlocked Volt, downstairs, was one of the most popular displays at the show, and got a lot of attention from the public), Tesla full-electric roadster, Honda Hydrogen/fuel-cell FCX, Honda natural-gas Civic GX (sold mostly in CA), Toyota Plug-in/extended-range Prius, full-electric Smart-for-Two, full-electric Wheego minicar, and full-electric Toyota RAV-4. Many other alternate-fuel vehicles of these types were on display (a surprising number), but I don't have time to list them all. So, for those who don't want a traditonal gas-burner, there are, in some cases, alternatives available....and tax credits and sometimes HOV prividges) for buying or leasing them.
Right next to the alternative-fuel section was the Hyundai display, and the new Equus luxury-sedan, like the Chevy Volt, also turned out to be one of the most popular displays at the show.....Hyundai (wisely, IMO) had two of them out on the floor, unlocked and accessable, and both were a BIG hit with the public. Mike (1SICKLEX) and Ryan (flipside909), I know you two doubt the ability of this car to go head-to-head with the better upmarket Lexus sedans (and I will withold judgement myself until I have had the chance to drive and review one), but I can tell you that the general luxury-level, interior, and fit/finish on this car are all quite impressive, and the public, at least at the show, seemed enamored for with you got for the 50-60K price, compared to the Lexus LS460's 70-80K price. If the public reception at the show is any guide, the Equus is going to sell very well. Too bad that the American Pedestrian-impact regulations seem to have nixed the nice classy chrome hood-ornament that some other markets will be getting.
Mercedes had the otherwise impressive SLS Gull-Wing AMG on display, with (IMO) absurd matte-silver paint that not only almost totally lacked gloss (an issue, IMO, on a 188K car), but looked to me liked something that had sat out in the sun too long for 15 or 20 years. But the Mercedes reps defended the decision to offfer it as a factory option, and were convinced there is a market for it. They are also going to offer the matte-paint jobs in other colors too, not just silver. They also had some info available on the A and B-Class models (particularly the hydrogen/fuel-cell versions), but were still doubtful on bringing these models, with or without the fuel-cells, to Ameerica. Neither one was actually on display.
I found the new Fiat display quite interesting, with not only a number of new 2011 Fiat 500 models on display (unlocked), but a also locked-up 1970 model painted yellow for comparison......I don't know how adult Americans ever managed to cram themselves into the old 1970 model, as it was miniscule, to say the least. Fiat, of course, with its old reputation for poor quality/reliability, has been out of the American market for almost 25 years...it will be interesting to see how the new 500s not only sell, but actually hold up. I especially liked the Latte Expresso-trim version, with its classy Mocha/Coffee-Brown paint and cream-clored dash trim. I asked why the high-performance Abarth 500 and full-electric 500 models were not there, and the reps said that Fiat was still working on the specs.....they have not been finalized yet for either version.
The Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, and Jeep Grand Cherokee were all notably more impressive, in many ways, than the old models they replaced (I've already done a full-review on the new Grand Cherokee). Rumor has it that the Fiat CEO (Fiat now owns Chrysler), was very dissatisfied with Chrysler's former quality level and El Cheapo tinny-plastic interiors, and himself ordered a major change, which is now being implemented across the line with each new redesign. Buick had the new Verano compact up on a turntable (the Verano is done on the Chevy Cruze platform), but unaccessable to the public. Speaking of the Cruze, I found its interior and fit/finish level to be not only outstanding for a low-priced compact car, but, IMO, well-ahead of its rival new 2012 Ford Focus, which was also at the show unlocked. The Cruze's interior was as impressive as its big-brother Chevy Malibu's (which was also outstanding). GM, and especially Chevy, is really putting some money into the fit/finish level of their newer cars.....and some of them have also been more reliable as well. I test-drove a Cruze on the local show-circuit there in downtown D.C......more on that in a minute. Buick and Cadillac reps both mentioned to me, when I was discussing the traditional Lucerne and DTS models with them, that they had gotten a LOT of requests there at the show for both cars to be retained and NOT dropped as the plans are to do now. Buick and Cadillac have both tried to change their images and produce vehicles that are more sport-oriented and BMW-like, but many of their customers still like the traditional soft-riding Lucerne and DTS. The reps, they told me, now understand that Buick and Cadillac management is going to make a LOT of people angry if they drop these two cars (which is what I myself have been saying for the last several years). It's true that the the Lucerne and DTS have outdated powertrains and somewhat cheap-quality interiors for the price (I recently did a DTS review), but, nevertheless, both have a STRONG customer base that likes them in spite of their powertrain and interior flaws.
Ford and Chevy both had huge displays (along with the alternative-fuel section, the largest displays at the show), and both had a number of concepts on display. The interesting and versatile Ford C-Max was there, but I couldn't get anyone to unlock it for me the first couple of days.....finally, on the last day, a higher-ranking Ford rep who was there overruled the lower-ranking ones (yes, without a bribe) and opened it up for me. The reasoning for keeping it locked, according to some of the reps, was that it was a pre-production model and not cleared for production in its present form....that excuse, in my book, doesn't hold water, and, if possible, I don't take no for an answer (though, of course, I sometimes have no choice). Ford also had the new full-electric Focus and a number of other alternate-fuel vehicles in its own display there, not just downstairs in the big alternate-fuel section.
Both GM and Kia had Ride-and-Drive courses set up, outside the show, around the local pothole-strewn D.C. city streets. GM had about 8 or nine vehicles available, and Kia had its new Optima sedan. I test-drove the Optima, and, at the GM event, the new Buick Regal and Chevy Cruze. I've describes those three test-drives in another CAR CHAT thread, so I won't go into that here again. The drives were imformative, but, of course, not long enough or variable enough for an MM review.
Well, you guys know how I talk about cars.....I could go on all night, and write a whole book about what I saw there in my 3 days at the show. But I need to cut it a little short now, not only because I'm tired, but, until I'm completely healed from the surgery, should limit my computer-time. So I'll say so long for now, and I'll leave you all with the same sign-off I do in my reviews: Happy Car-Shopping.
MM
For the first time in my life, I now have a Canon 3100 digital camera. I've never had a digital camera before, or the skills/experience in using one. I managed to get the camera set up, ready for use, take some shots at the show, and transfer the images to my own computer, but I still haven't figured out (if possible with my old laptop) to get those images onto the Internet into CL forums. So, in the meantime, I decided to go ahead and do the show write-up with my usual Google images. If and when I can get the digital-camera images transferred, I'll post them with this article later. The camera, of course, if I can master it, may also be a help in my future car reviews....we'll wait and see.
The Washington, D.C. Auto Show, up until about 4-5 years ago when the new D.C. Convention Center was built (at a cost to the city of roughly $1 billion) and the show times/dates changed, tended to be neglected somewhat by the auto manufacturers as a Class-B show. Because of a number of factors, it is now considered a show of greater importance; a borderline-Class-A show. The old show, at the old D.C. Convention Center, was held each year over the Holiday Week, roughly from Dec. 26 to around New years' Day. I actually liked the looks of the old Convention Center more than the new one, but it didn't have its own subway stop like the new one, and you often had to dodge (or deal with) a number of panhandlers on the streets to get there from the nearest stations. I don't mind helping the more honest ones out, of course, but some of them just don't know when to quit, or use the money for alcohol or drugs. The old show dates, of course, between Christmas and New Years', were held at a time when Members of Congress and many Government officials were out of town on recess. This also made it the last major auto show of the calendar year, just before the big Detroit Auto Show got going a couple of weeks later in January, so automakers generally paid little attention to it. When the new Convention Center opened, the D.C. show dates were moved to late January and/or early February, right behind the Detroit show, and this also made it much easier for Congressional and Government officials to attend......one of the show's prime targets. So, while the D.C. show is still not the equal of the Detroit, Chicago, or L.A. shows, it is clearly a major event now.
Not that that's necessarily the way it should be, though, IMO. The Washington area, with its very high income (some of the highest in the nation), stable, recession-resistant economy dominated by Government and high-tech companies, low unemployment (less than half the national average), and the great need for personal cars because of the limited local public-transit systems, has become (arguably) the second-largest new-car market in the country, selling some six times the number of new vehicles than the Detroit area, which is deteriorating and rapidly becoming part of the Rust belt. Only the massive L.A./SoCal region, the center of the country's auto-culture, sells more......some ten times the number of new vehicles than the Detroit area does. But the Detroit show is still the largest one, and the one that the most auto-press attends, despite the fact that it is simply a tradition that has fallen behind the times.......a number of automotive corporate headquarters have packed up and moved to the Los Angeles area, Tenneessee, or other places.....such as VW/Audi of America now headquartered in Herndon, VA, just a few miles from my home. The Detroit show, as I see it, is a huge event that simply no longer belongs in Detroit....other regions of the country, in the automotive culture, have clearly superseeded it.
I saw a couple of good examples of this (as usual) at the D.C. show again this year, where there were several new vehicles I thought should have been there that were reserved for other shows. One was the Lexus LF-A supercar. I asked the Lexus reps about that, and their excuse (which may have had some merit) was that only 500 LF-As were produced in the last year; only 173 came to the U.S., almost all of those were sold out or spoken for, and that they needed to reserve the few remaining for the larger shows in Detroit and Chicago (never mind the fact that the Detroit show was now over). Lexus, however, DID display the new CT200 hatchback hybrid, unlocked with the doors open, but up on a wooden platform where it where it was not accessable to the public. I plan to do a CT full-review in the future, but more for my own curiosity (I'm interested in it), as I have not yet gotten a CL request for one.
Oh well, enough of my venting and complaining. You gents and ladies didn't click onto this article just to hear me b**ch about marketing and show priorities, (I've done that enough of that in other threads on that subject), but for a report on the show itself. So, let's get on with that.....coming right up.
1970 Fiat 500 (yellow) and 2001 Fiat 500 in Latte Expresso trim.
The award-winning Ford Electric-Drive Focus
The Cadillac Converj
The Chevy Volt.....(the unlocked model on the floor, downstairs, was of the most popular show displays)
The Mercedes SLS Gull-Wing AMG in matte-silver paint.
Tesla full-electric roadster.
The 2011 Dodge Charger......MUCH improved over the 2010 model.
First, as was more or less the same as last year, a lot of floor-space downstairs (the show is held on two levels) was reserved, in a separate section, for non-gasoline and/or alternate-fuel vehicles like propane, natural gas, hydrogen/fuel-cell, plug-in (extended-range) hybrid, full-electric, advanced-diesel, and others. Good examples were the Chevy Volt plug-in-hybrid (the unlocked Volt, downstairs, was one of the most popular displays at the show, and got a lot of attention from the public), Tesla full-electric roadster, Honda Hydrogen/fuel-cell FCX, Honda natural-gas Civic GX (sold mostly in CA), Toyota Plug-in/extended-range Prius, full-electric Smart-for-Two, full-electric Wheego minicar, and full-electric Toyota RAV-4. Many other alternate-fuel vehicles of these types were on display (a surprising number), but I don't have time to list them all. So, for those who don't want a traditonal gas-burner, there are, in some cases, alternatives available....and tax credits and sometimes HOV prividges) for buying or leasing them.
Right next to the alternative-fuel section was the Hyundai display, and the new Equus luxury-sedan, like the Chevy Volt, also turned out to be one of the most popular displays at the show.....Hyundai (wisely, IMO) had two of them out on the floor, unlocked and accessable, and both were a BIG hit with the public. Mike (1SICKLEX) and Ryan (flipside909), I know you two doubt the ability of this car to go head-to-head with the better upmarket Lexus sedans (and I will withold judgement myself until I have had the chance to drive and review one), but I can tell you that the general luxury-level, interior, and fit/finish on this car are all quite impressive, and the public, at least at the show, seemed enamored for with you got for the 50-60K price, compared to the Lexus LS460's 70-80K price. If the public reception at the show is any guide, the Equus is going to sell very well. Too bad that the American Pedestrian-impact regulations seem to have nixed the nice classy chrome hood-ornament that some other markets will be getting.
Mercedes had the otherwise impressive SLS Gull-Wing AMG on display, with (IMO) absurd matte-silver paint that not only almost totally lacked gloss (an issue, IMO, on a 188K car), but looked to me liked something that had sat out in the sun too long for 15 or 20 years. But the Mercedes reps defended the decision to offfer it as a factory option, and were convinced there is a market for it. They are also going to offer the matte-paint jobs in other colors too, not just silver. They also had some info available on the A and B-Class models (particularly the hydrogen/fuel-cell versions), but were still doubtful on bringing these models, with or without the fuel-cells, to Ameerica. Neither one was actually on display.
I found the new Fiat display quite interesting, with not only a number of new 2011 Fiat 500 models on display (unlocked), but a also locked-up 1970 model painted yellow for comparison......I don't know how adult Americans ever managed to cram themselves into the old 1970 model, as it was miniscule, to say the least. Fiat, of course, with its old reputation for poor quality/reliability, has been out of the American market for almost 25 years...it will be interesting to see how the new 500s not only sell, but actually hold up. I especially liked the Latte Expresso-trim version, with its classy Mocha/Coffee-Brown paint and cream-clored dash trim. I asked why the high-performance Abarth 500 and full-electric 500 models were not there, and the reps said that Fiat was still working on the specs.....they have not been finalized yet for either version.
The Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, and Jeep Grand Cherokee were all notably more impressive, in many ways, than the old models they replaced (I've already done a full-review on the new Grand Cherokee). Rumor has it that the Fiat CEO (Fiat now owns Chrysler), was very dissatisfied with Chrysler's former quality level and El Cheapo tinny-plastic interiors, and himself ordered a major change, which is now being implemented across the line with each new redesign. Buick had the new Verano compact up on a turntable (the Verano is done on the Chevy Cruze platform), but unaccessable to the public. Speaking of the Cruze, I found its interior and fit/finish level to be not only outstanding for a low-priced compact car, but, IMO, well-ahead of its rival new 2012 Ford Focus, which was also at the show unlocked. The Cruze's interior was as impressive as its big-brother Chevy Malibu's (which was also outstanding). GM, and especially Chevy, is really putting some money into the fit/finish level of their newer cars.....and some of them have also been more reliable as well. I test-drove a Cruze on the local show-circuit there in downtown D.C......more on that in a minute. Buick and Cadillac reps both mentioned to me, when I was discussing the traditional Lucerne and DTS models with them, that they had gotten a LOT of requests there at the show for both cars to be retained and NOT dropped as the plans are to do now. Buick and Cadillac have both tried to change their images and produce vehicles that are more sport-oriented and BMW-like, but many of their customers still like the traditional soft-riding Lucerne and DTS. The reps, they told me, now understand that Buick and Cadillac management is going to make a LOT of people angry if they drop these two cars (which is what I myself have been saying for the last several years). It's true that the the Lucerne and DTS have outdated powertrains and somewhat cheap-quality interiors for the price (I recently did a DTS review), but, nevertheless, both have a STRONG customer base that likes them in spite of their powertrain and interior flaws.
Ford and Chevy both had huge displays (along with the alternative-fuel section, the largest displays at the show), and both had a number of concepts on display. The interesting and versatile Ford C-Max was there, but I couldn't get anyone to unlock it for me the first couple of days.....finally, on the last day, a higher-ranking Ford rep who was there overruled the lower-ranking ones (yes, without a bribe) and opened it up for me. The reasoning for keeping it locked, according to some of the reps, was that it was a pre-production model and not cleared for production in its present form....that excuse, in my book, doesn't hold water, and, if possible, I don't take no for an answer (though, of course, I sometimes have no choice). Ford also had the new full-electric Focus and a number of other alternate-fuel vehicles in its own display there, not just downstairs in the big alternate-fuel section.
Both GM and Kia had Ride-and-Drive courses set up, outside the show, around the local pothole-strewn D.C. city streets. GM had about 8 or nine vehicles available, and Kia had its new Optima sedan. I test-drove the Optima, and, at the GM event, the new Buick Regal and Chevy Cruze. I've describes those three test-drives in another CAR CHAT thread, so I won't go into that here again. The drives were imformative, but, of course, not long enough or variable enough for an MM review.
Well, you guys know how I talk about cars.....I could go on all night, and write a whole book about what I saw there in my 3 days at the show. But I need to cut it a little short now, not only because I'm tired, but, until I'm completely healed from the surgery, should limit my computer-time. So I'll say so long for now, and I'll leave you all with the same sign-off I do in my reviews: Happy Car-Shopping.
MM
Last edited by mmarshall; 02-08-11 at 07:59 PM.
02-08-11, 09:42 PM
#3
Lexus Fanatic
Cool pics, looks like good show and similar to the sprawling SF car show at Moscone center. The SJ show is smaller at convention center.
Both Bay Area shows are well attended, no surprise being in the #1 metro region in entire US for highest household income (with a population of over 7 million). The Bay Area could arguably be second to LA in terms of car culture and new car sales.
Despite the emphasis on "green" at car shows, I find those attending looking at far more than just what's super green.
Both Bay Area shows are well attended, no surprise being in the #1 metro region in entire US for highest household income (with a population of over 7 million). The Bay Area could arguably be second to LA in terms of car culture and new car sales.
Despite the emphasis on "green" at car shows, I find those attending looking at far more than just what's super green.
02-09-11, 06:10 AM
#4
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Both Bay Area shows are well attended, no surprise being in the #1 metro region in entire US for highest household income (with a population of over 7 million). The Bay Area could arguably be second to LA in terms of car culture and new car sales.
In fact, a new survey from the Texas Transportaion Institute shows some (not all) of our our D.C. trafic and commuting conditions to be as bad as in L.A. But I agree with you, L.A. is where it's at in terms of the car culture itself.....it's always been that way.
Take a look at this: 11 out of the top 25 (and 6 out of the top 10) highest-income jurisdictions in the U.S. are all D.C.-area suburbs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highest..._United_States
What I can't understand (and I made that plain in my report), is why the Detroit show still keeps getting so much press and automaker attention (and new-vehicle introductions) when it is clearly an outdated show representing a has-been, declining area. It's basically like dumping liquid money into a container full of holes.
The L.A. show, IMO, should clearly be the nation's largest.....it is the true center of the nation's car culture now.
Despite the emphasis on "green" at car shows, I find those attending looking at far more than just what's super green.
Last edited by mmarshall; 02-09-11 at 06:19 AM.
02-09-11, 07:06 AM
#5
Lexus Champion
Civic pride aside
, especially in cold weather cities, the annual auto shows are a nice break for something to do on a cold Jan/Feb day. I plan to hit the Chicago Auto Show in a few days.
, especially in cold weather cities, the annual auto shows are a nice break for something to do on a cold Jan/Feb day. I plan to hit the Chicago Auto Show in a few days.
02-09-11, 07:07 AM
#6
Racer
I didn't have the pleasure of attending the car show but alot of my coworkers and military workout buddies attending the show. Everyone came back raving about the Hyundai Equus.
02-09-11, 07:45 AM
#7
Lexus Fanatic
Perhaps. But stats show that Fairfax County, VA, Loudoun County, VA, and Montgomery County, MD (all D.C.-area suburban counties) are the wealthiest counties in the U.S. in terms of average income, county-wide.
Take a look at this: 11 out of the top 25 (and 6 out of the top 10) highest-income jurisdictions in the U.S. are all D.C.-area suburbs.
.
Take a look at this: 11 out of the top 25 (and 6 out of the top 10) highest-income jurisdictions in the U.S. are all D.C.-area suburbs.
.
Fun with stats regardless when speculating about car sales by region.
Civic pride aside (as best said by LexBob), I noticed many family types at car shows really giving the cars a lot of scrutiny for practical aspects.
Last edited by IS-SV; 02-09-11 at 07:50 AM.
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02-09-11, 08:19 AM
#8
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
The Chicago show (as is fitting and proper) is one of the largest on the circuit. You might see the Lexus LF-A there...the Lexus reps here said that they short-changed the D.C. Show so they could show one off in Chicago.
Civic pride aside
02-09-11, 08:27 AM
#9
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
If the sharp public interest in the Equus at the D.C. show holds up into local Hyundai dealer showrooms, Lexus is going to have some (more) competition.
02-09-11, 08:32 AM
#10
Pole Position
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Thx tons Mike.. my first take...
I WAS going to say,"Boring, come on, let's see something"... then got a look at the new Genesis
Camaro LZ is rad as well
I want to see some cars that make me say, "Yeah, I just jumped out of my fun car, now I'm getting into my awesome DD.... my days just ROCK!!!"
Come on autoworld, let's SEE SOMETHING!!!
I WAS going to say,"Boring, come on, let's see something"... then got a look at the new Genesis
Camaro LZ is rad as wellI want to see some cars that make me say, "Yeah, I just jumped out of my fun car, now I'm getting into my awesome DD.... my days just ROCK!!!"
Come on autoworld, let's SEE SOMETHING!!!
02-09-11, 08:33 AM
#11
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Yes and every single county listed there (other than Fairfax with 1 million) has a very small population of 100K or 200K so it doesn't mean much when compared to the greater metro area(s) of 7 million people each. In fact the county on top 25 list with highest population was Santa Clara county at 1.7 million people.
Fun with stats regardless when speculating about car sales by region.
02-09-11, 08:43 AM
#12
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Sure, Russ...anytime.
Several Genesis models were there at the Hyundai display (both coupe and sedan), but, in public interest, neither one drew anywhere near the attention the Equus did.
Several Camaros were there as well....including a sharp-looking retro-paint-theme orange and white SS.
The way I look at it, Russ, if one is a true car enthusiast, he or she, for the most part, won't find any car boring or yarn-inducing, though I have looked at and driven a few, such as the Smart-for-Two and poorly-engineered Ford Excursion, that I was clearly not impressed with. That's why, in my reviews, I include, for every vehicle, a long list of both Plusses and Minuses.
I WAS going to say,"Boring, come on, let's see something"... then got a look at the new Genesis
Camaro LZ is rad as well
I want to see some cars that make me say, "Yeah, I just jumped out of my fun car, now I'm getting into my awesome DD.... my days just ROCK!!!"
Come on autoworld, let's SEE SOMETHING!!!
Come on autoworld, let's SEE SOMETHING!!!
02-09-11, 08:50 AM
#13
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Sure, Russ...anytime.
The way I look at it, Russ, if one is a true car enthusiast, he or she, for the most part, won't find any car boring or yarn-inducing, though I have looked at and driven a few, such as the Smart-for-Two and poorly-engineered Ford Excursion, that I was clearly not impressed with. That's why, in my reviews, I include, for every vehicle, a long list of both Plusses and Minuses.
The way I look at it, Russ, if one is a true car enthusiast, he or she, for the most part, won't find any car boring or yarn-inducing, though I have looked at and driven a few, such as the Smart-for-Two and poorly-engineered Ford Excursion, that I was clearly not impressed with. That's why, in my reviews, I include, for every vehicle, a long list of both Plusses and Minuses.
I agree...My point- there are many cars that make one drool... what I mean is something NEW that you feel in your loins, takes your breath away and stirs a part of your soul when you see it... but NEW
02-09-11, 09:00 AM
#14
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Of the vehicles that were actually displayed there, one of the biggest disappointments at the D.C. show (I forgot to mention it earlier), was, IMO, the Acura TSX Sportwagon. It was better-looking, of course, than its sister Honda Crosstour (and there were several things I liked about it), but it still had the awkward parrot-beak grille, and it only included a four-cylinder and FWD, lacking a V6 option, the SH-AWD, and an Outback-type raised-suspension for deep snow. The Crosstour, of course, does include those features, but it is also (IMO) awkward-looking in its styling and the rounded-off cargo area is not as space-efficient as the TSX Sportwagon's.
Those Acura parrot-beak grilles, BTW, are turning off more than just the general public. One of the Acura reps I was chatting with at the show (a fairly young male) mentioned to me that not only was he aware of the grille-repainting that was being done at Acura dealerships to lessen its visual effect, but that, by request, he had had his own Acura painted that way.
Those Acura parrot-beak grilles, BTW, are turning off more than just the general public. One of the Acura reps I was chatting with at the show (a fairly young male) mentioned to me that not only was he aware of the grille-repainting that was being done at Acura dealerships to lessen its visual effect, but that, by request, he had had his own Acura painted that way.
02-09-11, 09:08 AM
#15
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
I think that's where I'll draw a line, Russ. I've ridden in a dump truck...no thanks.
Believe it or not, the current-generation Chevy Malibu makes me feel that way. Its superb interior, styling, and fit/finish is so far ahead of older, rental-grade Malibus that even comparing it to light-years is understating it. It is also better-looking, inside and out, than its arch-rival Ford Fusion, though the Fusion does offer hybrid and AWD versions that the Malibu lacks. The Malibu's only other significant problem, IMO, is tinny-closing rear doors, but that is a minor issue.
My point- there are many cars that make one drool... what I mean is something NEW that you feel in your loins, takes your breath away and stirs a part of your soul when you see it...